canet



8 T E N A, C .L GM B. J..

REGOIL AGTUATD HYDRAULIC BREEGH OPERATING MECHANISM FOR ORDNANGE.

Patented Deo- 18, 1894.

(NG Model.) s sheets-sheen 2- J. B.' G. A. CANET. REGOIL ACTUATEDHYDRAULIC BREECH OPERATING MEGHANISM FOR ORDNANGE.

u (No Model.) 8 Sheets--Sheet` 3.

J. B. G. A. CANET.

RECOIL lACTUATPJ) HYDRAULIC BREEGH QPERATING MEGHANISM vFORy ORDNANGE.

',{atented Deo. 18, 1,894.'

(No Model.) 4 8 Sheets-Sheet 4.

LLB, G.A.GANBT. RECOIL AGTUATEDHYDR-AULIG BRBBCH OPERATING MECHANISM FORORDNANCE.

Patented Dec. 18', 1894.

f Nga' T2. j M W (No Model.) 8 Sheets-Sheet 5.

l J. B. G.A.'CANEF1. REGOIL AGTUAIED HYDRAULIC BREECH OPERATINGMEGHANISM FOR ORDNANCE.

Patented Dec. 18.1894.

(No Model.) 8 Sheets-Sheet 6.

J.B.G.A.GANBT. RECOIL AGTUATED HYDRAULIC BREEGH OPERATING MEGHANISM PORORDNANGB.

Pa'tentedDeo. 18, 18.94.

'(No Model.) 8 Sheets-Sheet '7.

kJ.B.Gr.11.G1I11\IBT. M0011. AGTUATED HYDRAULIG BRBEGH OPERATINGMEGHANISM No. 531,157. Patented Deo. 18,1894.

8 Sheets-Sheet 8.

(No Model.)

J.,B. G. A. CANET.

iirn'rns lmnfrenr einen.

Ci? ONE-HALF TO OF MANCHESTER, ENGLAND.

THE SIR JOSEPII VHTYVORTH da COMPANY, Llll'll'lEl),

RECOLLACTUATED llYDllAULlC BREECH-OPERATING vllllCH/XNISW! FOR ORDNANCE.

SlPECEIGAQIOH forming part of Letters Patent No. 531,157, dated December18, 1894.

Application filed November i7, 1.892. Serial 'No.lZfl. (No model.)Patented in England June 8,1889,No.285,a11din France June 8, 1389i No.198,814.

To @ZZ whom iii-.fry concern:

Be it known that LJ Enr'risrn GUs'rAvn DOLPHE CANET, engineer, a citizenof the Republic of Frenos, end a resident of Paris,

5 France, have invented certain new and usenl improvements in the BreechMechanism of Guns, (for which l have obtained patent-s in the followingrcountries, viz: Great Britein, No. 285, ci" Janna-ry 7,1890, butdatedunro der the interne-tional Conventionas of June S, i889, France, No.198,814, dated .lune

S, 1889,) of 1which invention the following is Y a specification,reference being had to the accoinpnnyng drawings.

This invention has for its object the provision of improved means forautomatically opening the breech of a quickdiring gun by the recoil orrunning ont movements of the gun or for storing up energy derived fromthe 2o recoil and subsequently utilizing,r this energy fer opening andclosing' the breech.

` The said invention is applicable to those guns, wherein the breecl: istopencd by one movement of a single opel-ting lever such z 5Afor'exnniple as that described Iin lprior United States Eatent No.447,228. in the accompanyin r drawings which illustrate this invention:`figure l.1 shows partly in section end partly in plan view one form 3oof my improved hydraulic errangeinents for opening the breech. Fig. l*is (n, side elevation thereof, and Fig. lu deuil sectional view ci thcopere-'tive parts, shown .in recoil position. Wig. 2 is similar view toFig. l of a, hydraulic device for both opening and clos` ing the breech.Fig, 2^* is e. side elevation thereoi'end Fig, 2" a detail section ofthe operative parts shown in the recoil position. 8 cmid e show othermodifications of my so hydraulic devices which store energy during therecoil to be subsequently sed .for the perposesof opening and closingthe breech. Figs. 3^- and 3B are respectively a side eleva tion of themechanism shown in Fig. 3 and e detail sectional view of the operativepart .shoirzrin the recoil position. Figs. A and 4B arerespectively aside elevation of the parte' shown Fig. end a detail sectional view ci"the operative parts shown inthe recoil position.

Like letters of reference indicate corre sponding parte in all thedrawings.

The hydraulic arrengementshown in Figs. l, l and l". effects the openingor" the breech at the end of the recoil, and allows the breech to beclosed by hand et the end ot' the running out. Z is a hydraulic cylinderfixed to the gun A and having a piston Z which has a rod Z2 projectingon both sides thereof through packed glands in the cylinder ends. Z3 isa rectangular' slot formed in the rectangular head at the rear end ofthe piston vrod Z2. \Vithin the said slot worksa bearing block carriedby a pin f4 of the short arm fs of the lcverf. m is another hydrauliccylinder tixed to the gun cradle and which is provided with a piston mand a piston rod m2 that projects through both ends of the cylinder. n,n are pipes connecting respectively the front and the rear ends of thetwo cylinders Z m. o oarc adjustable stops in liuc with the piston rodm2. The seid stops are attached to the chassis or othernon-recoilingpart E of the gu u carriage. When the gun recoils the rearend of the rod m2 is arrested by the stop o just before thc completionof the rccoil'and the piston m is thereby forced to the forward end ofthe cylinder thus driving out the liquid in front of it end forcing thesaine through the pipe ii into the cylinder Z where it operates to driveback the piston Z and so through the lever f opens the breech. Vhile thebreech is being opened, the liquid in rear of the piston Z is driven outof the cylinder Z through the pipe In into the cylinder m. Upon therunning out of the gun after recoil, the rod m2. is arrested by the stopo and the liquid lin rear of the piston m is thus driven back into thecylinder Z' and operates to return the leverf to its initial position.The breech can then be closed by hand.

, In the modilicationshown in Figs. 2, 2A and 2D I provide for openingthe breech automatically at the end of the recoil and closing it whendesired upon the movement by hand of a valve, the force for closing thebreech bosoI ing derived from the recoil. Two cylinders m, Z areemployed as before. The arrangement of the cylinder Z is similar to thatlast described, but in this case have substituted a rack Z4 formed on`the rod Z2 and sliding in a guide Zi'l and gearing with atout/nedpinion f secured on the pivot piu f el' the lever f, in lieu of 'the pinand slot connection shown in, Fig. 1. The cylinder m which is attached a'to the cradle is provided with a simple plunu ger m2 that lits thecylinder and projects from the rear end 'thereof through a spring accunmulator D which is formed with or fixed to the end of the cylinder m. pis a piston which tits in the cylinder pand is acted upon by a springp2. q is a non-return valve adapted to close the admission opening ofthe y cylinder p. q is the spindle of the said valve which projectsthrough the casing. The pipe n leads into he'valve box infront olf thevalve q. In this case the lever f is provided with a slot which embracesthe roller g2 of the breech lever g so that the said lever f is capabloof moving the breech-lever in'both di- ;recticns When the gun recoils,the plunger m2 is arrested bythe stop o as in the arrange men-tpreviously described and drives outthe liquid from the cylinder m intothe cylinder Zand opens the breech. The liquid displaced from the rearend of the cylinder Z raises 'the valve q and enters the accumulatorcylinder p and comprcsses'the spring p2 therein. This liquid cannotreturn to the cylinder Z until the valvekq is opened by pressing thespindle q. Consequently the breech remains open as long as the gunnerdesires. lt is closed by pressing the spindle q which act allowsy theliquid in the accumulator to return to the cylinder Z under the pressureof the accumulator spring p2 thereby forcing fou ward the piston Z andreturning the lever f toits initial position. Su liicient initialpressure is always maintained in the accumulator cylinderfp to keep thebreech closed.

; ln the arrangement shown in Figs. 3, 3^ and 3 l have provided foropening and closing the breech by force derived from the recoil, suchopening and closing being effected at a time determined by the gunnerwho for this purn pose is required to operate a distributing valve. Thisarrangement comprises an operating cylinderZ and breech mechanismconstructed the same as that in the last previously describedmodification, and another cyl- ;v iuder m and spring accumulator inwhich the energy for Working the breech-block is stored. The plunger m2of the cylinder m is formed with a valve m3 at the inner end which valvenormally7 closes the aperture in a sliding pisl ton seat mi provided inthe cylinder. m* is a spring bearing against the rear face of themovable piston seatand a collar or other stop m0 formed on the plungerm2. The raid spring,r acts to press the piston seat against the valve.m5 is a valve box attached to the cylinderA The said valve box is fittedwith two piston valves o' o", which aro connected 'together by a crosslink` r2, which ispivoted at r3 to the valve casing. rf* is a handle bywhich the link fr? can be oscillated and the valves fr, r moved in andout. The said piston valves are reduced in diameter at their centralportions thereby forming annular chambers between the valves andtheircasings, with which chambers the pipes fn, n from the cylinder Zrespectively communicate. The rear or feed end of the valve chambercommunicates with the cylinder m through a channel m7 at a point in rearof the piston valve m4, while the forward or exhaust end of the valvechamber communicates with the forward end of the cylinder m through anexhaust pipe mS when the handle "r4 is in the central position so thevalves are closed. `When the gun recolle, the plunger fm2 is driven intothe cylinder by the stop o thereby displacing some of the liquid whichdisplaced vliquid passes between the valve mi and its seat m4 and forcesback the piston p thereby compressing the accumulator spring p2. At theend of the recoil, the valve seat mi is forced against the valve mi bythe spring mi and thereby closes the valve openinc. The liquid is thusprevented from returning to the frontend of the cylinder m. )onsequentlythe accumulator spring is maintained in compression. lf now the handler4 is turned down from its central position the liquid under pressure isallowed to pass through the admission opening o t' the valve r and. thepipe n and act on the front ci the piston Z thus opening the breech, the

exhaust liquid from the rear end of the cyl-` inder Z passing throughthe pipe a', the eX- -IOC haunt o euinfr of the valve o" and the i e P ea P P m8 to the front end of the cylinder m. Upon. subsequently raisingthe handle riso as to close the valve r to admission and open the valver the liquid under pressure then acts v the reverse Way through the pipen and closes the breech, the exhaust liquid from the front of thecylinder Z passing through the pipe n,

the exhaust opening' of the valve 9 and the Y pipe mi* to the front endof' the cylinder m. The time of opening and closing the breech is thusdetermined by the movement of the handle r4. y

The modification shown Ain Figs. 4^ and 4 has similar breech mechanismand operating; cylinder as the two last previously describedarrangements, and the gun is provided with recuperator apparatus which,comprises a cylluder l) formed with or attached to the gun cradle, aplunger D iixed at one end to the carriage and passing through a packedgland' in theyrear end of the cylinder D, and a movable tubular pistonD2 which Works through a packed gland 'in the forward end of the.cylinder D and is attached to a cross-head D" which is fixed to thetension rods D4, DV of the recuperator springs C. This recuperatordevice forms no part of the present invention, but is described andclaimed in Letters Patent granted to me May 16, 1893, and num bored97,70% s Iis a hydraulic accumulator

